Queen Empress (USA)
May 4, 1962 – c. 1988
Bold Ruler (USA) x Irish Jay (USA), by Double Jay (USA)
Family 23
May 4, 1962 – c. 1988
Bold Ruler (USA) x Irish Jay (USA), by Double Jay (USA)
Family 23
The best of the American juvenile fillies of 1964, Queen Empress ran 14 times that year without ever finishing out of the money. The hard campaign apparently took its toll at 3, when she was only able to start five times, but she came back to win a pair of sprint stakes as a 4-year-old. She was a fairly successful broodmare but was not given the retirement she deserved, being sold for pittances twice in her old age.
Race record
33 starts, 15 wins, 10 seconds, 4 thirds, US$431,428
1964:
1965:
1966:
Honors
American champion 2-year-old filly (1964)
Assessments
Highweighted among juvenile fillies at 118 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1964, 1 pound above second-rated Bold Experience.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1965, 10 pounds below champion What a Treat.
Rated at 115 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1966, 17 pounds below highweighted Bold Lad and 13 pounds below the official champion, Impressive (a 3-year-old).
As an individual
A bay mare with a slightly convex profile, Queen Empress was smoothly made and muscular, with particularly nice, well-developed hind end conformation. Her forelegs were slightly crooked with rather rough ankles. She stood about 15.3 hands as a 2-year-old. She was a lazy work horse. She also had a bad habit of bearing in while on the backstretch and bearing out while in the final straight. In addition, she was inclined to try to pull herself up if she made the lead too soon.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Queen Empress produced 14 named foals, of which nine started and seven won. Her important foals are as follow:
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Queen Empress was bred and owned by Wheatley Stable. She was trained by Bill Winfrey at ages 2 and 3 and by Eddie Neloy at 4. In 1981, she was consigned to the Keeneland November mixed sale, in foal to Private Account, and sold for US$150,000 to Tom Gentry. She went back to the auction ring in 1986, this time in foal to Graustark, and was sold for US$350,000. After producing a foal that died in 1987, she was covered by Artichoke and sent through the ring twice more, fetching just US$2,200 at Keeneland November and US$4,500 when resold two months later. There is no produce record for Queen Empress for 1988, suggesting that she had died without further issue.
Pedigree notes
Queen Empress is outcrossed through five generations. She is a full sister to 1968 Pimlico-Laurel Futurity winner King Emperor and to What Luck, who had some success as a sire of both Thoroughbreds and racing Quarter Horses. Queen Empress is also a half sister to 1981 Widener Handicap (USA-G1) winner Land of Eire (by Herbager).
Irish Jay, the dam of Queen Empress and her siblings, was a high-class filly whose wins included the 1959 Spinaway Stakes and the 1960 Acorn Stakes. She is a half sister to Magical Hour (by Princequillo), dam of stakes winner Dona Maya (by Reviewer) and third dam of Argentine Group 2 winner Pertex and Argentine Group 3 winner Permisionaria. Irish Jay is also a half sister to Weird (by Tulyar), dam of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Funny Peculiar (by Funny Fellow).
Irish Jay, in turn, is out of stakes winner Irish Witch (by 1940 Pimlico Futurity winner Bold Irishman, by Sir Gallahad III), whose half sister Endor (by Menow) is the dam of stakes winner Big End (by Beau Gar). The next dam in Irish Jay’s tail-female line, stakes winner Witchlike (Diavolo x Romanesque, by Sir Gallahad III) is a half sister to 1947 Haggin Stakes winner Roman In (by Arigotal).
Last updated: September 23, 2024
Race record
33 starts, 15 wins, 10 seconds, 4 thirds, US$431,428
1964:
- Won Astoria Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won National Stallion Stakes (Fillies) (USA, 5.5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Gardenia Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Garden State)
- Won Frizette Stakes (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Fashion Stakes (USA, 5FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Colleen Stakes (USA, 5.5FD, Monmouth)
- 2nd Astarita Stakes (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct; disqualified from first)
- 2nd Adirondack Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 2nd Selima Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Laurel)
- 3rd Spinaway Stakes (USA, 6FD, Saratoga)
- 3rd Sorority Stakes (USA, 6FD, Monmouth)
1965:
- 2nd Test Stakes (USA, 7FD, Saratoga)
1966:
- Won Vagrancy Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- Won Correction Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Barbara Fritchie Handicap (USA, 7FD, Bowie)
- 2nd New Castle Stakes (USA, 8.5FD, Delaware)
- 2nd Liberty Belle Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Interborough Handicap (USA, 6FD, Aqueduct)
- 2nd Distaff Handicap (USA, 7FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Bed o' Roses Handicap (USA, 8FD, Aqueduct)
- 3rd Columbiana Handicap (USA, 7FD, Hialeah)
Honors
American champion 2-year-old filly (1964)
Assessments
Highweighted among juvenile fillies at 118 pounds on the Experimental Free Handicap for American juveniles of 1964, 1 pound above second-rated Bold Experience.
Rated at 117 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American 3-year-old fillies of 1965, 10 pounds below champion What a Treat.
Rated at 115 pounds on the Daily Racing Form’s Free Handicap for American sprinters of 1966, 17 pounds below highweighted Bold Lad and 13 pounds below the official champion, Impressive (a 3-year-old).
As an individual
A bay mare with a slightly convex profile, Queen Empress was smoothly made and muscular, with particularly nice, well-developed hind end conformation. Her forelegs were slightly crooked with rather rough ankles. She stood about 15.3 hands as a 2-year-old. She was a lazy work horse. She also had a bad habit of bearing in while on the backstretch and bearing out while in the final straight. In addition, she was inclined to try to pull herself up if she made the lead too soon.
As a producer
Designated as a Reine-de-Course by pedigree analyst Ellen Parker, Queen Empress produced 14 named foals, of which nine started and seven won. Her important foals are as follow:
- Royal Dilemma (1971, by Buckpasser) won two of her nine starts and was stakes-placed. She is the dam of 1989 CIGA Prix de l’Abbaye de Longchamp (FR-G1) winner Silver Fling (by The Minstrel), 1979 Bayerisches Zuchtrennen (GER-G3) winner Imperial Fling (by Northern Dancer), multiple English listed stakes winner Silverdip (by The Minstrel), and Grade 1-placed stakes winner Imperial Dilemma (by Damascus). She is also the second dam of Grade 2 winner Powder Bowl. Her more distant descendants include multiple Grade 3 winner Tizamagician and 2016 Queen’s Plate winner Sir Dudley Digges.
- Call the Queen (1972, by Hail to Reason) won one of her seven starts. She is the third dam of 1996 American champion 3-year-old filly Jewel Princess and Grade 2 winner Globalize. Her more distant descendants include Grade 2 winner My Princess Jess.
- Hail Emperor (1978, by Graustark) won the 1983 Native Dancer Handicap, a listed race at Bowie. He sired seven stakes winners from 256 named foals, headed by multiple Grade 2 winner Royal Haven.
- Empiracle (1981, by Forli) never raced but produced stakes winner Silver Gem (by Relaunch). She is also the third dam of French Group 3 winner Zantenda and Irish Group 3 winner Kenya. Her more distant descendants include French Group 2 winner Duhail.
- Frau Stark (1986, by Graustark) never raced but is the second dam of Italian Group 3 winner Gesture.
Connections
Foaled in Kentucky, Queen Empress was bred and owned by Wheatley Stable. She was trained by Bill Winfrey at ages 2 and 3 and by Eddie Neloy at 4. In 1981, she was consigned to the Keeneland November mixed sale, in foal to Private Account, and sold for US$150,000 to Tom Gentry. She went back to the auction ring in 1986, this time in foal to Graustark, and was sold for US$350,000. After producing a foal that died in 1987, she was covered by Artichoke and sent through the ring twice more, fetching just US$2,200 at Keeneland November and US$4,500 when resold two months later. There is no produce record for Queen Empress for 1988, suggesting that she had died without further issue.
Pedigree notes
Queen Empress is outcrossed through five generations. She is a full sister to 1968 Pimlico-Laurel Futurity winner King Emperor and to What Luck, who had some success as a sire of both Thoroughbreds and racing Quarter Horses. Queen Empress is also a half sister to 1981 Widener Handicap (USA-G1) winner Land of Eire (by Herbager).
Irish Jay, the dam of Queen Empress and her siblings, was a high-class filly whose wins included the 1959 Spinaway Stakes and the 1960 Acorn Stakes. She is a half sister to Magical Hour (by Princequillo), dam of stakes winner Dona Maya (by Reviewer) and third dam of Argentine Group 2 winner Pertex and Argentine Group 3 winner Permisionaria. Irish Jay is also a half sister to Weird (by Tulyar), dam of Grade 3-placed stakes winner Funny Peculiar (by Funny Fellow).
Irish Jay, in turn, is out of stakes winner Irish Witch (by 1940 Pimlico Futurity winner Bold Irishman, by Sir Gallahad III), whose half sister Endor (by Menow) is the dam of stakes winner Big End (by Beau Gar). The next dam in Irish Jay’s tail-female line, stakes winner Witchlike (Diavolo x Romanesque, by Sir Gallahad III) is a half sister to 1947 Haggin Stakes winner Roman In (by Arigotal).
Last updated: September 23, 2024